Pirelli will become the Australian Open’s Official Tyre Partner starting this year, marking the Italian tyre maker’s first major tennis sponsorship as it seeks to expand its global sports marketing presence.

The partnership with the Grand Slam tournament, which begins January 12 in Melbourne, adds to Pirelli’s existing sports portfolio, including Formula 1 racing and football. The Milan-based company sees the tournament as a platform to boost brand visibility in the Asia-Pacific region, where tennis has seen growing viewership.

Andrea Casaluci, CEO of Pirelli: “For Pirelli, the Australian Open represents a very important opportunity for visibility because of the great interest in tennis at the global level. In particular, the sponsorship will help increase awareness of our brand in Australia, a market with a high concentration of prestige cars. Precisely in Melbourne, home of the tournament, in 2019, we opened a Pirelli P Zero World, our flagship store model currently present in only four other cities in the world”.

Cedric Cornelis, Tennis Australia Chief Commercial Officer: “We are very pleased to announce Pirelli as the Official Tyre Partner of the Australian Open. Pirelli is synonymous with innovation and performance, making it a great fit for one of the world’s premier tennis events. We are delighted that Pirelli has chosen the Australian Open to mark its first investment in a Grand Slam.”

The move represents Pirelli’s return to tennis after a five-decade absence. Before focusing on its core tyre business, the company manufactured tennis balls from 1930 to the 1970s.

Pirelli supplies tyres to over 350 motorsport competitions, with Formula 1 as its flagship partnership since 2011. The company also maintains sponsorship deals with football club Inter Milan and various skiing competitions.

The Australian Open drew more than 900,000 spectators in 2024 and reached millions of viewers globally through broadcast and streaming platforms, offering Pirelli significant brand exposure in key markets.

The financial terms of the sponsorship weren’t disclosed.

Italian machinery manufacturer Rodolfo Comerio has been recognised with the prestigious “Excellent Partner” award by Linglong Tire, one of the world’s leading tyre producers, during celebrations marking the Chinese company’s 50th anniversary.

The accolade was presented at the “2025 Linglong Tire Global Equipment Suppliers Conference,” which was part of an international event called “Driving Collaborative Growth with Linglong Tire.” The conference gathered major machinery suppliers from across the tyre industry.

According to the Italian firm, the award acknowledges Rodolfo Comerio’s exceptional calendaring line performance, commitment to innovation, quality after-sales service, and consistent presence in the Chinese market.

Nicola Fedele, Sales & Marketing Managing Director at Rodolfo Comerio, expressed his gratitude: “We are truly honoured to receive this recognition from such a prestigious company like Linglong. Our mission has always been to build strong and lasting relationships based on quality and reliability, and this award confirms the trust Linglong has placed in Rodolfo Comerio. To know that we have played a role in Linglong’s exponential growth thanks to our synergistic work and continuous commitment to meeting and exceeding their expectations is always a great source of pride for us.”

During the ceremony, Linglong Tire’s Chairman Wang Feng delivered a speech highlighting the crucial importance of the Chinese manufacturer’s partnership with Rodolfo Comerio. This relationship of mutual trust has reportedly enabled Linglong to achieve significant milestones and contributed substantially to the company’s growth in both quality and productivity.

Fedele added: “Meeting and being able to talk with  Wang Feng is always a source of inspiration for me. His dedication and foresight are a continuous professional lesson, and they provide a fundamental guide to push us to do better and reach new heights of excellence. His strategic vision motivates us to continue our work with passion and constantly improve our solutions to support the growth of our customers.”

Element Fleet Management Corp., the world’s largest publicly traded automotive fleet manager, has nominated Paolo Ferrari and Tracey McVicar to stand for election to its Board of Directors, the Toronto-listed company announced recently.

The nominations, to be voted on at the firm’s Annual General Meeting on 2 May, come as current board members Andrew Clarke and Arielle-Meloul Wechsler have decided not to seek re-election.

Ferrari brings substantial executive experience to the role, having most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Bridgestone Americas and Bridgestone West, while simultaneously holding the position of Joint Global Chief Operations Officer of Bridgestone Corporation. His prior leadership roles include Chief Executive Officer of Pirelli North America and Latin America, alongside executive positions in telecommunications, technology, and investment banking.

McVicar, a Partner at private equity firm CAI Capital Partners since 2003, previously held senior investment banking positions at Raymond James Ltd. and RBC Capital Markets. Her governance experience includes directorships at Teck Resources Ltd., where she chaired the Audit Committee, and BC Hydro Corporation, where she led the Audit and Finance Committee.

"We are pleased to nominate Paolo Ferrari and Tracey McVicar to our Board," said Element Board Chair Kathleen Taylor. "Paolo and Tracey bring integral skills, perspectives, and experience, and we are confident they will be tremendous assets to the Company. We would also like to thank our outgoing Board members, Andrew Clarke and Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, for their valuable support and contributions to Element."

Hankook Tire’s iON evo electric vehicle (EV) tyre has been voted the test winner with an ‘exemplary’ rating in AutoBild’s 2025 Summer EV Tyre Test.

The testers tested eight tyres in the size 215/55 R 18, all of which were made to be especially appropriate for electric vehicles. The objective for the premium tyre line was to provide unwavering safety while judiciously allocating battery capacity, i.e. to maximise range per battery charge through minimal rolling resistance. The Hankook iON evo, which finished first on the podium with an overall score of 1.1, outperformed all other tyres in the lengthy test.

The Hankook tyre won the top marks in two of the five categories and was the best on the circular track and for handling in the difficult wet surface testing. Also, the high-end tyre made especially for electric cars placed second in the three other categories of braking, aquaplaning and curve aquaplaning. In addition to winning two of the three individual tests, the handling and braking tests, the Hankook tyre dominated the dry surface test. It also placed among the top five drive-by noise comparisons. To further reduce noise levels in the interior, the iON evo is outfitted with Hankook i Sound Absorber technology.

The iON evo performed admirably in both the roll-out and range tests, placing second in the environment category. Lastly, a strong cost rating with continuously high mileage, price per mileage and rolling resistance scores completed the outstanding test result. The final verdict read: “Special EV tyre with good safety reserves during aquaplaning, short braking distances, outstanding driving dynamics, good mileage, good comfort and low rolling resistance.”

Leading tyre-retreading machinery maker Marangoni has unveiled a new strategic sustainability strategy for 2025–2027 that reaffirms its social and environmental pledges.

In order to direct and oversee its ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) initiatives during the ensuing three years, the tyre retreading expert has voluntarily created a targeted action framework. The framework is in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN's 2030 Agenda. Marangoni claims that the plan was implemented in accordance with globally accepted standards, such as AccountAbility 1000 and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines, and that it is meant to function as a monitoring tool to periodically assess the company's progress as well as a guide for action.

The company has identified 17 specific initiatives as part of this strategy. These were established after a materiality study that took into account input from external stakeholders as well as internal input. Each of the 17 initiatives is built around three core pillars, namely supporting the ecological transition, integrating ESG principles into corporate governance and ensuring a safe, stimulating and inclusive work environment. The result is a ‘balanced approach’ reflecting management’s priorities and stakeholder expectations, said the company.